Lesson 2: English Idioms from the Body

Introductory Quiz

Question 1

Put that cell phone away! You need to pay attention constantly while driving; an
accident can happen in the blink of an eye.

"In the blink of an eye" means...

A very quickly / suddenly

B while you are sleeping
C when nobody is watching

Question 2

I've heard that song so many times that I know the lyrics by heart.

If you "know something by heart," it means...

A you feel strong emotion about it

B you're tired of it
C you've memorized it

Question 3

You can't start crying every time someone gives you a suggestion for improvement. You
need to develop a thick skin.

If you have a "thick skin," you...

A don't let criticism affect you emotionally

B never cry, even in very sad situations
C are very defensive of your abilities

Question 4

Unfortunately, my job interview got off on the wrong foot - I accidentally mixed up
the company's name with that of its biggest competitor.

If something "got off on the wrong foot," it means...

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 A it was not the right time
B it started badly
C you forgot something important

Question 5

It really gets on my nerves when my roommate borrows my clothes without asking.

If something "gets on your nerves," it means that it...

A annoys you
B makes you nervous
C surprises you

Question 6

The other team clearly had the upper hand - their players were stronger and faster. We
lost the game 6-1.

Having the "upper hand" means...

A being more popular

B having good luck
C having the advantage

Question 7

Ever since I received the promotion that Jenna was hoping to get, she's been giving me
the cold shoulder. She won't even look at me during staff meetings.

To "give someone the cold shoulder" means...

A not making an effort to do any work

B rejecting or treating rudely
C saying bad things about someone to others

Question 8

The client is dragging his feet on giving us an answer to the proposal - we've been
waiting for three weeks. It appears he's not very enthusiastic about working with our
company.

If someone is "dragging his feet," it means he...

A is delaying or doing something very slowly

B is not communicating well
C is too busy to complete the task

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Question 9

I knew that my friend was lying to his brother, but I held my tongue because I didn't
want to get involved in a family conflict.

To "hold your tongue" means...

A to agree with someone

B to say nothing
C to change the topic

Question 10

Moving to a new country where you don't speak a single word of the local language
takes guts.

If something "takes guts," it...

A has major benefits

B is not safe
C requires courage

Question 11

Trying to get my teenage son to help out around the house is like pulling teeth.

If something is "like pulling teeth," it means that it is...

A a very infrequent event

B extremely difficult and painful
C necessary for maintaining a good relationship

Question 12

I hate everything about my co-workers. They're lazy, annoying, and rude. Sorry for
ranting - I just had to get that off my chest.

If you "get that off your chest," it means you...

A express feelings you've kept inside for a long time

B finally quit a job that you don't enjoy
C say something that you're going to regret later

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Video Explanation
in the blink of an eye

The word "blink" is when you close both eyes and open them again immediately. We
blink our eyes every few seconds automatically. Because this action is very fast, the
idiom "in the blink of an eye" means very quickly or suddenly.

Another idiom with the same meaning is "in a heartbeat." The difference is that “in the
blink of an eye” is usually used with can, could, or the past tense:

An accident could happen in the blink of an eye.

Everything changed in the blink of an eye.

“In a heartbeat” is usually used with the word would:

I would move to Hawaii in a heartbeat if I had the chance.

If I were rich, I would buy that car in a heartbeat.

know by heart

The ancient Greeks believed that the heart, not the head, was the
center of intelligence and memory (as well as emotion). This is what
gave origin to the idiom "know by heart" meaning "memorized."

There's also the idiom "learn by heart." The difference is that "learn
by heart" refers to the process of memorizing something, and "know
by heart" means you have already memorized it.

thick skin

The thick skin of an animal like a crocodile means it

can't be injured easily - so if a person has "thick skin"
it means they have the ability to receive criticism
without letting it affect them emotionally.

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"Thick-skinned" is also used as an adjective - and the opposite, "thin-skinned," describes
someone who is easily hurt or offended by any little thing.

get off on the wrong foot

The origin of this idiom probably comes from the fact that
many cultures have a superstition that the right foot is lucky
and the left foot is unlucky. So if you start walking with the
"wrong foot," it means you've started badly.

This idiom is used both for starting projects badly and for
starting relationships badly. It's common to say that two people
"got off on the wrong foot" if they didn't like each other the first
time they met.

it gets on my nerves

Nerves are the fibers that transmit signals from your brain to the other
parts of your body. Nerves also enable you to feel pain and irritation - so if
something "gets on your nerves," it means it's annoying.

You can use this idiom with a person or an action:

My little brother always gets on my nerves.

It gets on my nerves when my neighbors play loud music at night.

upper hand

The exact origin of this idiom is unknown, but the hand is often a
symbol of power. So if someone has the upper hand, it means they
have the greater power; the advantage.

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give someone the cold shoulder

If you don't want to talk to someone, you might turn away so that they see your
shoulder, not your face. The idiom "give someone the cold shoulder" means to reject
the person or treat them rudely - sending the clear message that you don't want to
talk to or interact with them.

drag your feet

The verb "drag" means to pull something along the ground with a lot of effort. If you
"drag your feet," you would be walking very slowly and reluctantly – so this idiom
means to delay or move slowly on a project because you don't really want to
do it.

hold your tongue

You use your tongue when you speak, so to "hold your tongue"
means NOT to speak - to say nothing.

takes guts

"Guts" is an informal word for your stomach and intestines. In the

past, it was believed that these internal organs were the source of a
person's courage. So if something "takes guts," it means it requires
courage.

You can also say that someone doesn't have the guts [to do
something] if the person doesn't have enough courage to do the
activity.

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For example, "I don't have the guts to sing in front of a huge audience!"

like pulling teeth

Your teeth are set very firmly in your mouth, and

"pulling" (extracting) teeth is a painful and difficult
process. The idiom "it's like pulling teeth" is used to
describe something that's difficult and painful.
It's often used when talking about trying to get
information from a person who doesn't want to
communicate.

get something off your chest

Your chest contains your heart, which is considered the center of

emotion. So to get something off your chest means to express
feelings or emotions that you have kept inside for a long
time.

This phrase can be used for expressing positive or negative emotions.

People usually feel better after expressing their feelings, so it's
common to say "it feels good to get that off my chest."

Congratulations - you've finished Lesson 2!

You can now take the practice quiz and try the speaking and writing exercises.

Log in tomorrow for Lesson 3: English Idioms from Money

Practice Quiz
Question 1

We need to get the air conditioner fixed. It's making a constant clicking sound that's
really ______________.

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 A giving me the cold shoulder
B getting on my nerves
C dragging my feet

Question 2

I'd like to get to know my mother-in-law better, but she's a very private person. Trying
to make conversation with her is ______________.

A in a heartbeat
B getting it off my chest
C like pulling teeth

Question 3

Nokia is offering free shipping on all their products in an effort to ______________

in the cell phone market.

A get off on the wrong foot

B get the upper hand
C hold their tongue

Question 4

When I quit my job, my stress levels went down _________________.

A in the blink of an eye

B by heart
C like pulling teeth

Question 5

I said some things I regret during the argument. I should have _____________ and
listened to the other person's point of view.

A held my tongue
B taken guts
C gotten it off my chest

Question 6

I need to learn ten songs _____________ for the piano competition.

A by heart
B thick skin
C in the blink of an eye

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Question 7

My husband said he would paint the house in January, but he's been
______________ ever since. I'm tired of waiting!

A giving me the cold shoulder

B dragging his feet
C holding his tongue

Question 8

The hockey team's star player ________________ with a terrible performance in the
first game of the season.

A got the upper hand

B got on his nerves
C got off on the wrong foot

Question 9

Skydiving isn't for me. I don't ______________ to jump out of an airplane!

A know by heart
B have the guts
C have the upper hand

Question 10

You need to _______________ if you want to work in customer service - the job
often involves dealing with angry people.

A have a thick skin

B hold your tongue
C drag your feet

Answers
1) B

2) C

3) B

4) A
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5) A

6) A

7) B

8) C

9) B

10) A

Speaking / Writing Exercises

1) What's one thing that really gets on your nerves?

2) Has someone ever given you the cold shoulder? What happened?

3) What's one thing you don't have the guts to do?

4) Describe a time when you wanted to say something, but you held your tongue.

5) Do you have a thick skin or a thin skin? Give an example.

If you want correction / feedback, you can either e-mail me your writing at
[email protected] or leave me a voice mail message:
www.speakpipe.com/espressoenglish

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